Clothesline tightener



Feb. 23, 1943- c. J. VAN VALKEQNBURGH CLOTHES LINE TIGHTENER Filed July' 15, {1941 Feb. 23, 1943- c. J. VAN. \IIALKENBURGH v ,792

CLOTHES LINE TIGHTENER Filed July 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 23, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESLINE, TIGHT'ENER Cecil J. Van Valkenburgh, Belleville, Mich.

Application July 15, 1941, Serial No. 402,538

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes line tighteners, and particularly to a device of this character intended and adapted for use in tightening or drawing taut a clothes'line or other rope or line. Y

An object of my invention is to provide a line tightener that can be applied to and used upon a line at any point along its length without the necessity of cutting the line, and which will tighten and tension the line and can be manipulated to hold or lock upon the line to be retained in line tightening relation thereon until released.

Another object is to provide a device of this character that is of imple and inexpensive con struction, that can be fitted in place and used upon a line by one without special skill or knack or knowledge, and that will not cut or chafe or abrade or otherwise injure the line or any part thereof, while being placed or removed or while in use.

Still another purpose is to provide a device that can be used to take up more or less slack and which will be held in the applied and tightened position by the tension of the tightened line.

Yet another object is to so construct the line tightener that it can be made up in various forms and manners, and from various suitable and available materials.

With the above and other objects in view, some of which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and others of which are inherent in the construction and use of the device, my invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter set forth in connection with the drawings and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing a line tightener made in accordance with my invention as it appears when in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the line tightener.

Fig, 3 is a plan view.

Fig. 4 is a View in perspective showing a modified construction of line tightener.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the showing in Fig. 4.

My improved line tightener can be made of any desired and suitable material, and in any size that may be necessary for the particular line. In the showing in Figs. 1 and 2 and 3 the structure is disclosed as made up of two strap metal members I and 2 shaped and bent in the desired manner and then connected together.

The member I has an elongated .bar 3 provided with bent end arms 4 and 5, and these arms 4 and 5 are notched or recessed on their upper and lower or opposite edges respectively, as at 6 and I. The member 2 is also made to be of substantially U-shaped form with the arms 8 and 9 extending substantially angularly and in spaced parallel relation from the back bar Ill. The back bar I of the member 2 is of considerably less longitudinal extent than the back bar 3 of the member I, and this member 2 is positioned upon and in the middle of the back bar 3 and is connected or secured thereon by the use of rivets I I, or by other suitable fastenings, so that the arms 8 and 9 are disposed in intermediate spacing between and extend substantially parallel with the arms 4 and 5.

The arms 8 and 9 are provided with line positioning grooves l2 and i3 which are preferably of less depth than the line retaining grooves 6 and I of the arms 4 and 5. These grooves or recesses l2 and I3 are formed or located to be substantially in alignment with the grooves or recesses 6 and l, and the arms 8 and 9 extend forwardly with the side portions thereof presenting additional line winding space.

As shown in Figure 1, the line I4 is intended to be only illustrative, and as has been stated above this can be a clothes line, or any other line or rope that it is desired to tighten or tension. The line tightener is fitted in place with the line between the two arms 8 and 9, as these parts are shown in Fig. 2, and the tightener is then swung or rotated or turned in substantially counterclockwise direction so that the line is engaged in the notches or recesses l2 and I3 and the back bar 3 is swung through substantially one-half of a circular movement, following which the line is caught in the recesses 6 and 7 so that the line tightener is held against return swinging movement. In this relation, the line is wound upon the arms 8 and 9, somewhat after the manner shown in Figure 1, and since the arms 4 and 5 engage the line in the recesses thereof the line tightener is held against loosening or unwinding, and the tension on the line is maintained for any desired time, and until the tightener is manually manipulated to release the rope or line from the recesses 6 and I. If desired to take up a greater amount of slack in the line, the tightener can be given further swing or revoluble manipulation so that an additional amount of the line will be wrapped around the arms 8 and 9, and then the line on each side of the wound portion can be caught in the recesses 6 and l, as above described, and the tightener will be held in place. To release the tightening device it is only necessary to swing the bar 3 so that the tensioned or stretched portions of the line l4 are out of the recesses 6 and I, and then when the tightener is turned or manipulated in a reverse movement the wound up portion of the line will be unwound from the arm 8 and 9, and the part of the line within the recesses 12 and I3 can be disengaged so that the tightener can be entirely removed.

Rivets II have been illustrated as connecting the members I and 2 together, but these parts can be spot-welded or other means or methods can be employed to join the parts, or this can be made as a unitary structure.

In the adaptation illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the back bar or body portion [4 is of elongated form and has the end arms 15 and H at the extremities thereof, these arms being disposed angularly with respect to the back bar or body portion. This part I4 is here illustrated as being made up from a single elongated member, as for example a piece of strap metal or any other suitable material, and the middle portion is bent out or offset to provide two spaced winding arms I! and I8, these winding arms being in the present instance formed substantially by bending out the middle portion of the back bar or body portion 14 into two parallel rungs with an intermediate bight portion l9 separating the arms sufiiciently to permit insertion of the clothes line or other line portion desired to be tightened. The end arms 15 and 5 have line retaining notches 20 and 2i formed in opposite edges thereof, and the winding arms I1 and I8 have line positioning notches 22 and 23 provided in opposite edges thereof so that the several notches 20, 22, 23 and 2| are staggered on opposite sides of the various arms, with the several notches substantially in line longitudinally.

In the use of this embodiment of my invention, the line is slipped or inserted through the open throat 24 presented between the arms I! and I8, and the tightener structure is then swung to dispose the line in the line positioning notches 22 and 23, with the swinging movement continued in substantially rotational direction to wind the slack of the line onto the arms I! and I8, following which the line is caught in one or both of the notches 20 and 2!, in which relation the line is retained and the tightener structure is held against accidental or casual displacement that would permit unwinding movement to loosen or release the tightened line.

While in the foregoing description I have set forth the parts I and 2 and 24 as being perhaps preferably made up of elongated members, such as strap metal, stamped or bent or shaped to the desired form, the clothes line tightener can be made of one of the new plastics or of any other suitable material, and in place of stamping or bending or shaping, the structure might be molded or pressed to the desired form and configuration, or into other forms that will accomplish the desired structure and will permit the use and functioning in accordance with this invention.

Since my improved tightener is applied to and used with a continuous portion of the line or rope, it is not necessary to cut the line, and the tightener can be fitted and applied and used upon any part of the line, without danger of breaking or chafing or injury to the line or rope structure.

While I have herein shown and described only certain specific embodiments of my invention and have suggested only certain possible modifications in the structure and manner of construction, have set forth only certain materials of construction, and have stated only certain manners of use, it will be appreciated that many changes and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. A line tightener comprising a single elongated piece bent at its ends to provide laterally substantially parallel extending arms having line retaining notches on opposite edges thereof, said member being outwardly looped and bent back upon itself in its middle portion in substantially U-shaped formation providing spaced substantially parallel winding arms intermediate the laterally extending arms at the ends of the member and having said winding arm portions provided with line positioning notches in opposite edges thereof.

2. A line tightener comprising a single elongated piece of strap material looped in its middle portion and bent back on itself to provide an open U-shaped portion and having the parts thereof on opposite sides of the opening of the U-shaped portion extending therefrom and then bent back laterally at their ends to provide arm portions extending substantially parallel with the sides of the U-shaped portion, said sides of the U-shaped portion being provided with line positioning notches in opposite edges thereof, and said arms having line retaining notches formed in opposite edges thereof.

CECIL J. VAN VALKENBURGH. 

